The Votes of Young People Should Count More

[What Would Jesus Do?]

While it will never happen and may be a flawed idea, someone on DW proposed age-weighted voting among several ways to deal with the control of the US and many other countries by a stodgy, wealth-hoarding gerontocracy.

The idea is that when you are younger, you have more at stake in the decisions being made that will affect your future than someone with only a few years left. You'll be around to enjoy or suffer the long term consequences; they won't.

Many of our nation's problems can be traced to a similar problem on the economic side: companies are rewarded for short term gains to such an extreme that long range worries are ignored, dismissed or lied about.

Which is to say, we have the worst of both worlds. A government and corporations both willing to sacrifice the future for near term gain.

Obviously a youth-weighted vote flies in the face of our "one person, one vote" ideal. But let's face it, we don't really live up to that ideal (Electoral College, anyone?), so there's that.

 

[Aardvark86]

While it will never happen and may be a flawed idea, someone on DW proposed age-weighted voting among several ways to deal with the control of the US and many other countries by a stodgy, wealth-hoarding gerontocracy.

The idea is that when you are younger, you have more at stake in the decisions being made that will affect your future than someone with only a few years left. You'll be around to enjoy or suffer the long term consequences; they won't.

Many of our nation's problems can be traced to a similar problem on the economic side: companies are rewarded for short term gains to such an extreme that long range worries are ignored, dismissed or lied about.

Which is to say, we have the worst of both worlds. A government and corporations both willing to sacrifice the future for near term gain.

Obviously a youth-weighted vote flies in the face of our "one person, one vote" ideal. But let's face it, we don't really live up to that ideal (Electoral College, anyone?), so there's that.

Except when "at stake" refers to assets that the older voters have accumulated over a lifetime which younger voters could decide to take away. Or better yet, what if the younger ones become big proponents of Youth In Asia? Reliance interests, shmeliance interests.

But while we're at it, honestly, let's just go back to only real property holders can vote.

 

[FLaw47]

But while we're at it, honestly, let's just go back to only real property holders can vote.

I'm hopeful this was in jest.

@What Would Jesus Do?, I think the biggest thing is that young people actually need to vote. Gen Z is currently larger than the Boomers, Millennials are the biggest overall (though I guess I'm middle aged now). If we voted at the same rate as the Boomers and Gen X's what the old folks wanted would scarcely matter. Instead we have millions of "both sides suck, nobody represents me" children who think that voting doesn't do anything and would rather whine on the internet about it. I'm all for compulsory voting and freedom sausages.

 

[Aardvark86]

I'm hopeful this was in jest.

@What Would Jesus Do?, I think the biggest thing is that young people actually need to vote. Gen Z is currently larger than the Boomers, Millennials are the biggest overall (though I guess I'm middle aged now). If we voted at the same rate as the Boomers and Gen X's what the old folks wanted would scarcely matter. Instead we have millions of "both sides suck, nobody represents me" children who think that voting doesn't do anything and would rather whine on the internet about it. I'm all for compulsory voting and freedom sausages.

of course it's in jest, though philosophically it's no different than the "stakes in the game" theory underlying the new proposition. and don't get me wrong, I genuinely appreciate WWJD's provocatively fun questions. But in the words of the late Justice Scalia, in the marketplace of ideas, bad ideas warrant a good conk on the head.

 

[FLaw47]

of course it's in jest, though philosophically it's no different than the "stakes in the game" theory underlying the new proposition. and don't get me wrong, I genuinely appreciate WWJD's provocatively fun questions. But in the words of the late Justice Scalia, in the marketplace of ideas, bad ideas warrant a good conk on the head.

Glad to hear it. There are plenty of bad ideas circulating on your side of the aisle so one can never be too safe.

 

[Aardvark86]

Glad to hear it. There are plenty of bad ideas circulating on your side of the aisle so one can never be too safe.

Absolutely nothing wrong with sarcastic disagreement, as long as the rule of talking to umpires is used: one just cannot use the word "you".

 

[FLaw47]

Absolutely nothing wrong with sarcastic disagreement, as long as the rule of talking to umpires is used: one just cannot use the word "you".

I suppose it would have been more fair to say "There are plenty of bad ideas circulating on your side of the aisle, too".

 

[FLaw47]

While it will never happen and may be a flawed idea, someone on DW proposed age-weighted voting among several ways to deal with the control of the US and many other countries by a stodgy, wealth-hoarding gerontocracy.

The idea is that when you are younger, you have more at stake in the decisions being made that will affect your future than someone with only a few years left. You'll be around to enjoy or suffer the long term consequences; they won't.

Many of our nation's problems can be traced to a similar problem on the economic side: companies are rewarded for short term gains to such an extreme that long range worries are ignored, dismissed or lied about.

Which is to say, we have the worst of both worlds. A government and corporations both willing to sacrifice the future for near term gain.

Obviously a youth-weighted vote flies in the face of our "one person, one vote" ideal. But let's face it, we don't really live up to that ideal (Electoral College, anyone?), so there's that.

Circling back a little bit to this, I did make a matrix at an old job that prioritized the order in which I would save individuals in the department in the event of a catastrophe. The largest overall factor in the score was the amount of life remaining, which was based on the sex of the individual, the actuarial tables, and a super biased health rating that I assigned to them. I also considered the number of dependents they had (grown children didn't count), the likelihood of saving someone else's life, and the likelihood of committing a felony (I excused trifling crimes).

I'd never go for your proposal but if I was going to I'd start with my spreadsheet. And now anyone who happened to have worked with me knows for sure my TI username.

 

[Aardvark86]

Circling back a little bit to this, I did make a matrix at an old job that prioritized the order in which I would save individuals in the department in the event of a catastrophe. The largest overall factor in the score was the amount of life remaining, which was based on the sex of the individual, the actuarial tables, and a super biased health rating that I assigned to them. I also considered the number of dependents they had (grown children didn't count), the likelihood of saving someone else's life, and the likelihood of committing a felony (I excused trifling crimes).

I'd never go for your proposal but if I was going to I'd start with my spreadsheet. And now anyone who happened to have worked with me knows for sure my TI username.

A pretty sick manager to run that exercise for disaster recovery, eh? I sorta like your approach as to neighbors, but if I'm the employer, I might wonder whether you got the gist of the exercise.

 

[FLaw47]

A pretty sick manager to run that exercise for disaster recovery, eh? I sorta like your approach as to neighbors, but if I'm the employer, I might wonder whether you got the gist of the exercise.

Oh I did this entirely of my own accord. I also made a lunch matrix to figure out where we should eat on Fridays. We had a large department (like 18 or so people) and we'd blow through 45 minutes easy figuring out where to eat. My manager at the time was garbage but one good thing he did was tell me it the lunch matrix was "good work" (everyone ranked the restaurants one time and whoever was going would be marked yes in the file, Then it'd give you a top 3 based on the score for the restaurant amongst the attendees, how recently we'd gone, and how long lunch would take).

 

[Gibbs6]

Yes, giving more votes to a bunch of people that spend their days watching TikTok and instagram videos. Along with students being brainwashed by college professors, seems like a best idea ever. What could go wrong?

 

[FLaw47]

Yes, giving more votes to a bunch of people that spend their days watching TikTok and instagram videos. Along with students being brainwashed by college professors, seems like a best idea ever. What could go wrong?

I'm not going to speak for all old people here, but my parents are brainwashed as well; just by different news sources. The number of factually incorrect things they believe just because they "heard it" is depressing.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I'm hopeful this was in jest.

@What Would Jesus Do?, I think the biggest thing is that young people actually need to vote. Gen Z is currently larger than the Boomers, Millennials are the biggest overall (though I guess I'm middle aged now). If we voted at the same rate as the Boomers and Gen X's what the old folks wanted would scarcely matter. Instead we have millions of "both sides suck, nobody represents me" children who think that voting doesn't do anything and would rather whine on the internet about it. I'm all for compulsory voting and freedom sausages.

Big fan of mandatory voting. It's a small ask with a big potential benefit.

 

[Aardvark86]

Oh I did this entirely of my own accord. I also made a lunch matrix to figure out where we should eat on Fridays. We had a large department (like 18 or so people) and we'd blow through 45 minutes easy figuring out where to eat. My manager at the time was garbage but one good thing he did was tell me it the lunch matrix was "good work" (everyone ranked the restaurants one time and whoever was going would be marked yes in the file, Then it'd give you a top 3 based on the score for the restaurant amongst the attendees, how recently we'd gone, and how long lunch would take).

Oh boy. By any chance did you work at a company called Dunder mifflin?

 

[FLaw47]

Oh boy. By any chance did you work at a company called Dunder mifflin?

Believe it or not, I've been the social glue in every department I've ever been in. People typically appreciate the conversation generated by things like this and people like arguing about things when there are no actual stakes.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Circling back a little bit to this, I did make a matrix at an old job that prioritized the order in which I would save individuals in the department in the event of a catastrophe. The largest overall factor in the score was the amount of life remaining, which was based on the sex of the individual, the actuarial tables, and a super biased health rating that I assigned to them. I also considered the number of dependents they had (grown children didn't count), the likelihood of saving someone else's life, and the likelihood of committing a felony (I excused trifling crimes).

I'd never go for your proposal but if I was going to I'd start with my spreadsheet. And now anyone who happened to have worked with me knows for sure my TI username.

I appreciate the effort. Quite Procrustean.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Oh I did this entirely of my own accord. I also made a lunch matrix to figure out where we should eat on Fridays. We had a large department (like 18 or so people) and we'd blow through 45 minutes easy figuring out where to eat. My manager at the time was garbage but one good thing he did was tell me it the lunch matrix was "good work" (everyone ranked the restaurants one time and whoever was going would be marked yes in the file, Then it'd give you a top 3 based on the score for the restaurant amongst the attendees, how recently we'd gone, and how long lunch would take).

With your talents, you should be starting some polls on this site.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Yes, giving more votes to a bunch of people that spend their days watching TikTok and instagram videos. Along with students being brainwashed by college professors, seems like a best idea ever. What could go wrong?

Hey, it's better than giving more votes to people who watch FOX News.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I'm not going to speak for all old people here, but my parents are brainwashed as well; just by different news sources. The number of factually incorrect things they believe just because they "heard it" is depressing.

To be fair to the elderly, they grew up in an era when the news was much more trustworthy, and Presidents seldom lied.

 

[Gibbs6]

Hey, it's better than giving more votes to people who watch FOX News.

I’d say it’s pretty equal. How about we give more votes to the people that aren’t on Fox News, TikTok or Instagram.

 

[FLaw47]

To be fair to the elderly, they grew up in an era when the news was much more trustworthy, and Presidents seldom lied.

That's fair. They've also had more time to build up defenses.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I’d say it’s pretty equal. How about we give more votes to the people that aren’t on Fox News, TikTok or Instagram.

How many extra votes do I get if I'm not on any of those?

 

[FLaw47]

With your talents, you should be starting some polls on this site.

I think being a pollster before 2016 would have probably been really interesting.

 

[Gibbs6]

How many extra votes do I get if I'm not on any of those?

The same as me. I’d say we should get at least 5 votes each.

 

[Moogy]

Believe it or not, I've been the social glue in every department I've ever been in. People typically appreciate the conversation generated by things like this and people like arguing about things when there are no actual stakes.

And just how many departments, over how many years, have you "socially glued" together?

 

[FLaw47]

And just how many departments, over how many years, have you "socially glued" together?

5 over about 20?

 

[Moogy]

While it will never happen and may be a flawed idea, someone on DW proposed age-weighted voting among several ways to deal with the control of the US and many other countries by a stodgy, wealth-hoarding gerontocracy.

The idea is that when you are younger, you have more at stake in the decisions being made that will affect your future than someone with only a few years left. You'll be around to enjoy or suffer the long term consequences; they won't.

Many of our nation's problems can be traced to a similar problem on the economic side: companies are rewarded for short term gains to such an extreme that long range worries are ignored, dismissed or lied about.

Which is to say, we have the worst of both worlds. A government and corporations both willing to sacrifice the future for near term gain.

Obviously a youth-weighted vote flies in the face of our "one person, one vote" ideal. But let's face it, we don't really live up to that ideal (Electoral College, anyone?), so there's that.

So, are we giving 10 year olds a vote with 5x the weight of an unc 25 year old, who has 5x the weight of an ancient 40 year old, who has 5x the weight of an already-dead-just-doesn't-know-it zombified 60 year old?

 

[Moogy]

5 over about 20?

So more of a light taping then.

 

[FLaw47]

So more of a light taping then.

I don't follow. Do I get more or less credit for more job hopping? I've had two "big boy" companies where I've had 3 departments but I included by co-op and ditch digging groups as "departments" as well.

 

[Aardvark86]

So more of a light taping then.

think of him as a turnaround guy

 

[scotchtiger]

I'm hopeful this was in jest.

Yeah, real property doesn’t make sense. However, being a net positive contributor of income taxes on the other hand…

 

[FLaw47]

Yeah, real property doesn’t make sense. However, being a net positive contributor of income taxes on the other hand…

Correct, an even worse idea. I'll go next. We should only let people who can solve Rubik's Cubes vote!

Edit: nvm, that's absurd. We should only let you vote if you use Oxford commas and don't eat ketchup.

 

[scotchtiger]

Correct, an even worse idea. I'll go next. We should only let people who can solve Rubik's Cubes vote!

Edit: nvm, that's absurd. We should only let you vote if you use Oxford commas and don't eat ketchup.

I hate ketchup.

 

[TigerGrowls]

 

[PalmettoTiger1]

Yeah, real property doesn’t make sense. However, being a net positive contributor of income taxes on the other hand…

Elon Musk would score big

Wait billionaires don’t pay taxes

 

[kidmike41]

Glad to hear it. There are plenty of bad ideas circulating on your side of the aisle so one can never be too safe.

I would be in support of just property tax payers being allowed to vote.

 

[FLaw47]

I would be in support of just property tax payers being allowed to vote.

It's a god awful idea but people are allowed to have them.

 

[scotchtiger]

The only conceptual gripe I have is that people can vote to take money from people who earned it and put it in their own pocket. People who vote for higher taxes on earners and more entitlements that they receive. That just seems wrong, but I'm not sure how to stop it.

 

[FLaw47]

All I'll say is we've previously fought a war over suffrage issues and it's one of the few times I'd just be totally down with people killing other people. If you legitimately try to strip the right to vote away from law abiding citizens, you deserve for those citizens to kill you.

If you aren't down with democracy you can leave and start your own garbage country.

Edit; In case it wasn't clear, I'm talking about taking away voting rights from adults. I think the arguments about children voting are interesting but not revolution worthy.

 

[Moogy]

All I'll say is we've previously fought a war over suffrage issues and it's one of the few times I'd just be totally down with people killing other people. If you legitimately try to strip the right to vote away from law abiding citizens, you deserve for those citizens to kill you.

If you aren't down with democracy you can leave and start your own garbage country.

"In retrospect, this post was an obvious harbinger to General FLaw47 leading The Great Toddler Revolt of 2026, and we all missed the warning signs. The carnage that ensued, as millions of teens, pre-teens, toddlers and infants laid waste to the adult population, just to obtain the right to vote, was unprecedented. The few of us that survived established underground bases from which to plan and launch our counter attacks ..."